Greetings!
The last day of August and Transition is spreading around the world. Transition Initiatives are now in 15 countries, translations of The Primer and key Transition information are in nine languages, and we saw the 200th international Transition Initiative: Marlow, England. To date, we have 206 Initiatives worldwide! Thirty-eight of these are to be found in the USA.

Our first job listing for Development Director yielded some remarkable candidates. Our second job posting for an Executive Assistant/ TI Coordinator is now up on our website.

In late July and August we cast the net for Board nominees and received an abundance of qualified names. Thank you!

This month we are casting the net again to find those of you interested in helping Transition in the US gain more financial resources. Kit Miller, previously Executive Director of Bay Non-Violent Communication will be helping to formulate strategy and thinking around this. See below for more details.

And here’s to our new bloggers! They comprise different voices from the Movement. If you see a voice missing that must be heard – please let us know.

Transition Initiatives

This month, we welcome three new Official Transition Initiatives in the US, bringing the total to thirty-eight:

* Transition Culver City in California, which is the first pod of Transition LA
* Transition Sunnyside , the first "Transition Neighborhood" of Portland, Oregon
* Transition Media in Pennsylvania (some websites under construction).

If you've been mulling it over and feel you're ready for the next step, check out the initiatives map and learn more about becoming an Official Transition Initiative.

Throughout the month, we post stories from Transition Initiatives about some of the wonderful projects they are working on. Here are some highlights:

News from Transition Whidbey
The residents of Southern Whidbey Island near Seattle were galvanized into action in 2007 when they learned about Totnes’ plans to “relocalize” and thought, “We’ve got an island with clearly defined boundaries, an engaged population that cares about our community, lots of potential for rural farming, and a supportive local government. Let’s give it a try!” (read more)

Reaching out!
We were delighted to find some recent examples of outreach materials produced by Transition Initiatives, in this case, email newsletters to the communities. We thought others might enjoy seeing them and wanted to highlight the newsletters of Transition Tuscon and Transition Newburyport on this occasion. You'll also find these newsletters as samples in the resources section of our website. (read more)

The Buck Slows Here
We must bring money back down to earth.
This essay was submitted for publication with Transition US by Woody Tasch, Chairman of Slow Money and Chairman Emeritus of Investors’ Circle and author of Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms and Fertility Mattered. (read more) --See also Slow Money Alliance Inaugural National Gathering in Santa Fe, NM September 10-11

Read more stories online.

Mullers!
The Mullers Map that you might have seen on the UK Transition Network website is now also linked from our site! Calling all mullers to mark your locations and - important! - to include contact information for your group!

Beyond Mulling? Check out the recently updated the Criteria Response Form. Remember, the application process intends to provide support and get you off to a good start! Nothing too onerous in it!
Transition Training

There are a number of trainings coming up, so if you're interested in taking the Training for Trainsition (T4T) workshop, do check the listing and see if there's something in your area. If not, why not explore hosting a training? Download our guidelines and find out what it takes to host a Training course.

Transition US Webinar Series are coming!
Transition US webinar series we have been working on took a mighty leap forward this month. Cynthia Clay and Leo Brodie of Net Speed Solutions (their Seattle-based training company) have offered to host webinar, train presenters and record sessions for us as their contribution to supporting Transition in the US. Thank you, Cynthia and Leo!

Watch for our special announcement with dates, topics and presenters in early September.

News from the Transition Network
In Transition Film now available for public screenings

The Film In Transition 1.0, directed by Emma Goude with input from Transition communities around the world, is now available for community screenings. A detailed release schedule and pricing schedule of the movie is now available from the TransitionCulture website.

If you're interested in receiving updates from the Transition Network in the UK, where it all began, you can sign up for their newsletter here.

TransitionUS.org
Blogs Blogs Blogs

We’re pleased to announce some new bloggers who have recently contributed their first pieces! In“When Opportunity Knocks…” blogger and Transition LA member Joanne Poyourow highlights the newly drafted California Climate Adaptation Strategy, now open for public comment. She also shares some thoughts and resources "Beyond Local Currencies!" Lisa Chase, who is also an editor for a fashion magazine, invites us to consider “Why the American Mainstream is Worth Fighting for,” and Myrto Ashe deftly takes on the “Transition to Local Food.”

Join the conversation! You can post comments to any of the blogs & bloggers on our website -- all you need to do is create a login to the site!

Get Involved
Are you interested in helping to generate resources for Transition US? We are scheduling a conference call for people with this interest to meet each other and to share ideas for how we can make Transition spread as rapidly as possible, by finding money for it! Contact carolyne@transitionus.org if you are interested in joining a call, which will likely happen in early September. We will schedule a time that works well for as many people as possible.

Co-Sponsored Events
Community Resilience Toolkit Launch Party - September 16, San Francisco, CA
In the face of worsening energy, climate, and economic crises, Bay Area Localize is equipping organizers throughout the region with the tools they'll need to build strong communities. The long-awaited Community Resilience Toolkit will be unveiled in San Francisco on September 16!

An Evening with Vicki Robin - September 24, Petaluma, CA
Transition US is pleased to be co-sponsoring this event, bringing Vicki Robin, Author of Your Money or Your Life to a northern California audience for a talk on "Transition - but how? Insights and Advice from a Seasoned Sustainability Activist"

Other Events, Workshops, Things to Do

Slow Money Alliance Inaugural National Gathering - September 10-11, Santa Fe, NM
"From the Ground Up"
Slow Money. It's a new economic vision. It's an emerging network of investors, donors, farmers, and activists committed to building local food economies. It's about the soil of the economy. It's the beginning of the "nurture capital" industry. (see also the related essay The Buck Slows Here by Woody Tash)

Deepening Community Leadership Online Course - Thursdays, September 10 - November 19
With Don Hall, Transition Colorado
In this time of unprecedented environmental and economic crisis, we can no longer afford to simply keep repeating the patterns of the past. We need to make a quantum leap in our leadership. This course will provide you with information, skills, tools, and practice to lead more successful change initiatives in your community.

Positive Energy Conference 2 - October 3-9, Findhorn, Scotland
"Following the success of the Easter 2008 conference, Positive Energy: Creative Community Responses to Peak Oil and Climate Change, we have decided to keep going forward. Where the primary focus of Positive Energy 1 was awareness-raising and inspiration, Positive Energy 2 will showcase tangible, successful models developed by communities to enhance their resilience in the face of the twin challenges of peak oil and climate change." A pdf flyer is available for download here.

Bioneers - October 16-18, San Rafael, CA
The Bioneers Conference is a leading-edge, environmental conference where social and scientific innovators focus on solutions inspired by nature and human ingenuity. This year the conference will also feature panel of speakers, including Jennifer Gray, on "Localization - the Path to Living Economies."

Day of Climate Action - October 24 - What is your Transitoin Initiative Doing?
Our friends over at 350.org are organizing an international Day of Climate Action on Saturday October 24. So far, people in more than 100 nations are taking part -— it's shaping up to be to be the biggest day of grassroots action on global warming ever. But they're hoping for it to be much larger. Here at Transition US, we came up with an idea: what if Transition Initiatives joined in? Joanne Poyourow from Transition LA has almost completed a presentation that will be available for all to use. Stay tuned! It will be posted on our website soon.

Transition Resources
"Real People, Real Preparation"
The first three parts of this series by Carolyn Baker are now available on her website.
Another recent article by Carolyne is "The Psychology of Change: Cultivating Resilience At The Point of No Return".

Peak Moment TV
Powerdown ShowPeak Moment TV began producing videos supporting transition and relocalization in 2005 when they taped Steve Andrews and Richard Heinberg presenting on peak oil. Peak Moment TV has produced more than 20 presentation DVDs and 150 Peak Moment Conversations, all great presentation tools for community education. One recent conversation with Sarah Edwards, Transition Trainer and Ecopsychologist, explores "The Waking Up Syndrome," the stages people often go through when facing the implications of climate change and resource depletion. (read more)

Fresh, the Movie
FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet. (read more)

Earth Circles
Earth Circles are small groups of people who meet together to acknowledge their concerns and fears around climate change and the environmental, social, and economic destruction that may lie ahead, and to support one another in discovering and carrying out effective action, as we shift toward a more sustainable way of life. Earth Circles are designed to help us move from feelings of despair and denial to positive action, using the power we gain from sharing concerns, learning together and acting in community.

If you come across any resources that you would like to see featured in the monthly Transition US Newsletter, or would like to volunteer as a translator, please let us know!